The impact of conversion to ecological recycling agriculture (ERA) on farm nitrogen budgets and production levels

The data used in this study is collected under BERAS Implementation project from ERA-farms in Finland in 2010 to 2012 (three years averages) and from three different production lines on ERA farms: beef, egg and milk.The data indicates the production level, the products sold and feed and other supplements purchased on the farm each year. Accordingly it has been calculated A) how much area B) how much other inputs (e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus) is needed to maintain the production level. Based on these calculations it makes possible to estimate how much of these nutrients are recycledon the farm, how much of the used nitrogen is based on biological nitrogen fixation and how much non-renewable resources have been needed. This makes it possible to calculate the output-input ratio of nitrogen

Ring closure reactions of bicyclic prolinol and prolin ester enantiomers

Starting from the of bicyclic proline ester, ethyl exo-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-3-carboxylate (+)-5 several hydantoines and thiohydantoines were prepared by acidic ring closure of the corresponding urea or thiourea derivatives. Enantiomer (-)-5 was reduced to 2-azanorbornylmethanol 12, which was transformed to 5,8-methanooxazolo- and thiazolo[3,4-a] pyridine derivatives. The structures, stereochemistry and relative configurations of the synthesized compounds were proved by NMR

Topological properties of inequality and deprivation in an educational system: Unveiling the key-drivers through complex network analysis

This research conceives an educational system as a complex network to incorporate a rich framework for analyzing topological and statistical proper-ties of inequality and learning deprivation at different levels, as well as to simu-late the structure, stability and fragility of the educational system. The model provides a natural way to represent educational phenomena, allowing to test public policies by computation before being implemented, bringing the oppor-tunity of calibrating control parameters for assessing order parameters over time in multiple territorial scales. This approach provides a set of unique advantages over classical analysis tools because it allows the use of large-scale assessments and other evidences for combining the richness of qualitative analysis with quantitative inferences for measuring inequality gaps. An additional advantage, as shown in our results using real data from a Latin American country, is to provide a solution to con-cerns about the limitations of case studies or isolated statistical approaches.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Coupled Intermittent Maps Modelling the Statistics of Genomic Sequences: A Network Approach

The dynamics of coupled intermittent maps is used to model the correlated structure of genomic sequences. The use of intermittent maps, as opposed to other simple chaotic maps, is particularly suited for the production of long range correlation features which are observed in the genomic sequences of higher eucaryotes. A weighted network approach to symbolic sequences is introduced and it is shown that coupled intermittent polynomial maps produce degree and link size distributions with power law exponents similar to the ones observed in real genomes. The proposed network approach to symbolic sequences is generic and can be applied to any symbol sequence (artificial or natural)

Illness and injury of travellers abroad : Finnish nationwide data from 2010 to 2012, with incidences in various regions of the world

The number of international tourist arrivals reached 1,000 million in 2012. Assessment of travellers' health problems has relied on proportionate morbidity data. Given the lack of data on number of visitors to each region, incidences have been impossible to calculate. This study, largest yet reporting travellers' health problems, is the first to present incidence of illness and injury. Data on Finnish travellers with health problems abroad during 2010 to 2012 were retrieved from the database of an assistance organisation, SOS International, covering 95% of those requiring aid abroad. The numbers were compared with those of Finnish travellers in the database of the Official Statistics of Finland. The SOS International database included 50,710 cases: infections constituted the most common health problem (60%), followed by injuries (14%), diseases of skin (5%), musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (5%), digestive tract (3%), and vascular system (2%). Gastroenteritis (23%) and respiratory infections (21%) proved the most frequent diagnoses. Overall incidence of illness or injury was high in Africa (97.9/100,000 travel days; 95% Bayesian credible interval (BCI): 53.1-145.5), southern Europe plus the eastern Mediterranean (92.3; 95% BCI: 75.4-110.1) and Asia (65.0; 95% BCI: 41.5-87.9). The data show significant differences between geographical regions, indicating the main risks and thus providing destination-specific tools for travellers' healthcare.Peer reviewe

Incidence and Mimickers of Acute Idiopathic Optic Neuritis : Analysis of 291 Consecutive Patients from Southern Finland

Purpose: To estimate the population-based incidence of acute idiopathic optic neuritis (ON) and analyse its differential diagnosis in patients referred with symptoms suggestive of ON. Methods: Patients with suspected ON referred to the Helsinki University Hospital, serving a population of 1.5 million in Southern Finland, were reviewed between 1st May 2008 and 14th April 2012. Brain and optic nerve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed within 24 hours in 83% of patients. Results: Of 291 referred patients, 184 (63%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 57-69%) were diagnosed with ON whereas 107 (37%) had another condition. The estimated crude incidence of ON in Southern Finland was 3.0 (95% CI 2.8-3.3) per 100,000 (females, 4.6 and males, 1.4). Mean age was 34years (range 15-61), 76% were female. Two (1%) were diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica. ON as the first demyelinative episode was diagnosed in 108 (59%) patients, and MRI showed demyelinating lesions (MRI+) in 82% (95% CI, 75-89) of them. MRI+ predicted the development of multiple sclerosis (MS): 54% of MRI+vs. 5% MRI-patients were diagnosed as MS during a mean follow-up of 7.7years. The most common differential diagnosis was non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (12%). Six (2%) intracranial compressive lesions were found upon MRI scan. Conclusions: More than a third of patients with symptoms suggestive of ON had another condition. Demyelinative lesions on MRI indicated higher risk of developing MS. We recommend the use of MRI to improve the differential diagnostic accuracy of ON and to identify patients with high risk of MS.Peer reviewe

Impact of calcium on salivary α-amylase activity, starch paste apparent viscosity and thickness perception

Thickness perception of starch-thickened products during eating has been linked to starch viscosity and salivary amylase activity. Calcium is an essential cofactor for α-amylase and there is anecdotal evidence that adding extra calcium affects amylase activity in processes like mashing of beer. The aims of this paper were to (1) investigate the role of salivary calcium on α-amylase activity and (2) to measure the effect of calcium concentration on apparent viscosity and thickness perception when interacting with salivary α-amylase in starch-based samples. α-Amylase activity in saliva samples from 28 people was assessed using a typical starch pasting cycle (up to 95 °C). The activity of the enzyme (as measured by the change in starch apparent viscosity) was maintained by the presence of calcium, probably by protecting the enzyme from heat denaturation. Enhancement of α-amylase activity by calcium at 37 °C was also observed although to a smaller extent. Sensory analysis showed a general trend of decreased thickness perception in the presence of calcium, but the result was only significant for one pair of samples, suggesting a limited impact of calcium enhanced enzyme activity on perceived thickness

Influence of Surface Chemistry on Ibuprofen Adsorption and Confinement in Mesoporous Silicon Microparticles

The effect of adsorption and confinement on ibuprofen was studied by immersion loading the molecules into porous silicon (PSi) microparticles. The PSi micro particles were modified into thermally oxidized PSi (TOPSi) and thermally hydrocarbonized PSi (THCPSi) to evaluate the effects of the loading solvent and the surface chemistry on the obtainable drug payloads. The payloads, location, and the molecular state of the adsorbed drug were evaluated using thermal analysis. The results showed that after the adsorption of similar to 800 mg/cm(3) (w(drug)/v(pores)) of drug into the mesopores, depending on the solvent used in the immersion, the drug began to rapidly recrystallize on the external surface of the particles. Moderate concentrations, however, enabled payloads of 800-850 mg/cm(3) without excessive surface crystallization, and thus, there was no need for rinsing the samples to remove the externally crystallized portion. The results showed that the confined ibuprofen forms nanocrystals inside of the mesopores after approximately 200 mg/cm(3) payloads were obtained, accounting for half of the adsorbed drug amount. The presence of both crystalline and noncrystalline phases was further characterized using variable temperature solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. The interactions between the drug molecules and the pore walls of TOPSi and THCPSi were observed using Fourier transform infrared and H-1 NMR spectroscopies, and the hydrogen bonding between the silanol groups of TOPSi and the adsorbed ibuprofen was confirmed, but having only limited effect on the overall state of the confined drug. In vitro drug permeation studies in Caco-2 and Caco-2/HT29 cocultures showed that the adsorption onto hydrophilic or hydrophobic PSi microparticles had no significant effects on the ibuprofen permeation, whether the drug was partially nanocrystalline or completely in a liquidlike state

Systemic Blockade of ACVR2B Ligands Protects Myocardium from Acute Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Activin A and myostatin, members of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-b superfamily of secreted factors, are potent negative regulators of muscle growth, but their contribution to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate if activin 2B (ACVR2B) receptor ligands contribute to myocardial IR injury. Mice were treated with soluble ACVR2B decoy receptor (ACVR2B-Fc) and subjected to myocardial ischemia followed by reperfusion for 6 or 24 h. Systemic blockade of ACVR2B ligands by ACVR2B-Fc was protective against cardiac IR injury, as evidenced by reduced infarcted area, apoptosis, and autophagy and better preserved LV systolic function following IR. ACVR2B-Fc modified cardiac metabolism, LV mitochondrial respiration, as well as cardiac phenotype toward physiological hypertrophy. Similar to its protective role in IR injury in vivo, ACVR2B-Fc antagonized SMAD2 signaling and cell death in cardiomyocytes that were subjected to hypoxic stress. ACVR2B ligand myostatin was found to exacerbate hypoxic stress. In addition to acute cardioprotection in ischemia, ACVR2B-Fc provided beneficial effects on cardiac function in prolonged cardiac stress in cardiotoxicity model. By blocking myostatin, ACVR2B-Fc potentially reduces cardiomyocyte death and modifies cardiomyocyte metabolism for hypoxic conditions to protect the heart from IR injury.Peer reviewe